The Political Reaction to Immigration | Economics, Applied | Steven Davis and Marco Tabellini | Hoover Institution

Host Steven Davis is joined by Marco Tabellini from Harvard Business School to explore the political reactions to immigration. They discuss whether economic or cultural concerns drive backlash, and how these reactions influence policy outcomes. The conversation delves into historical and contemporary issues, providing insights into the complex economic, social, and political effects of immigration. The episode closes with a tribute to the late Alberto Alesina, highlighting his contributions to the field of political economy and his lasting influence on students and colleagues.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Marco Tabellini is assistant professor in the Business, Government, and the International Economy unit at the Harvard Business School, and is affiliated with the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), and at the IZA Institute for Labor Economics.

Professor Tabellini studies the political and economic effects of immigration. His research seeks to understand what factors facilitate or hinder immigrant assimilation and how ethnic groups interact and affect society. Some of his research considers the early twentieth century US experience, characterized by the massive inflow of Europeans and the first major migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North. He has studied the effects of the second great migration of African Americans between 1940 and 1970, investigating how this episode contributed to the development of the Civil Rights movement. Professor Tabellini earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2018, and spent the academic year 2018-2019 as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Business School before joining the faculty. He also holds a B.S. and M.S. in Economics and Social Sciences from Bocconi University.

Steven J. Davis is the Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He is a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research, consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, advisor to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, past editor of the American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, and an elected fellow of the Society of Labor Economists. He co-founded the Economic Policy Uncertainty project, the US Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes, the Global Survey of Working Arrangements, the Survey of Business Uncertainty, and the Stock Market Jumps project. He co-organizes the Asian Monetary Policy Forum, held annually in Singapore. Previously, Davis was on the faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, serving as both distinguished service professor and deputy dean of the faculty.

ABOUT THE SERIES:

Each episode of the video podcast series Economics, Applied features senior fellow Steven Davis in conversation with leaders and researchers about economic developments and their ramifications. The goal is to bring evidence and economic reasoning to the table, drawing lessons for individuals, organizations, and society. The podcast also aims to showcase the value of individual initiative, markets, the rule of law, and sound policy in fostering prosperity and security.

For more information, visit https://www.hoover.org/podcasts/economics-applied.

RELATED RESOURCES:

• The Political Effects of Immigration: Culture or Economics: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jel.20221643

• Immigration in American History: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jel.20151189

• The Long-term Effects of Immigration on Attitudes and Political Preferences: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28448/w28448.pdf

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hoover Institution or Stanford University. © 2024 by the Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University.